Water Changes

[Rick]

When I do my water change 120 gal tank I do a 25-30 water change once
a month regularly. I mix up Instant Ocean in a spare 40 gal tank.
using a 1/2 cup salt to 1 gal water as recomended (pretty accurate
too). Once I have the water temp & Salinity correct and let set for
24 hrs and check again.

When I do my regular water change and somtimes have a few extra gals.
My question is if I put the extra water into my plastic jugs for
storage what is the shelf life of this water, Can i use it a couple
of weeks later to top off my tank? Can I use it weeks later to put
into my QT tank? Can I save it until my next water change a month
later?

What is recomended? My LFS has a 500 gal water tank that they sell RO
water how fresh can that be?

[Mort]

I am not sure about most of your questions but I do know that if you use pre
made sal****er as top off, you are going to raise your sg in the tank.

hth

~Mort


"Rick" > wrote in message
om...
> When I do my water change 120 gal tank I do a 25-30 water change once
> a month regularly. I mix up Instant Ocean in a spare 40 gal tank.
> using a 1/2 cup salt to 1 gal water as recomended (pretty accurate
> too). Once I have the water temp & Salinity correct and let set for
> 24 hrs and check again.
>
> When I do my regular water change and somtimes have a few extra gals.
> My question is if I put the extra water into my plastic jugs for
> storage what is the shelf life of this water, Can i use it a couple
> of weeks later to top off my tank? Can I use it weeks later to put
> into my QT tank? Can I save it until my next water change a month
> later?
>
> What is recomended? My LFS has a 500 gal water tank that they sell RO
> water how fresh can that be?

[Marc Levenson]

Rick wrote:

> When I do my regular water change and somtimes have a
few extra gals.
> My question is if I put the extra water into my plastic jugs for
> storage what is the shelf life of this water, Can i use it a couple
> of weeks later to top off my tank?

Store it in a seal container and it will be good. As Mort
stated, don't top off to make up for evaoporation or your
salinity will increase.
> Can I use it weeks later to put into my QT tank?

Yes.

> Can I save it until my next water change a month
> later?

Yes.

> What is recomended? My LFS has a 500 gal water tank that they sell RO
> water how fresh can that be?

There's is pretty fresh because people are buying it all day
long, and the store is consuming lost water via sales and
evaporation.

Marc


--
Personal Page:
http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/oanda/index.html
Business Page: http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com
Marine Hobbyist: http://www.melevsreef.com

[Rick]

Thanks for the info. This is what I thought. Just nice to get
feedback from others.

THKS/Rick

[Toni]

"Rick" > wrote in message
om...
> When I do my regular water change and somtimes have a few extra gals.
> My question is if I put the extra water into my plastic jugs for
> storage what is the shelf life of this water, Can i use it a couple
> of weeks later to top off my tank?

No.
You do not need salt mix in your top off water. Only the water evaporates-
not the salt. Use plain RO or RO/DI for top off.

> Can I use it weeks later to put
> into my QT tank? Can I save it until my next water change a month
> later?
>

Save it- yes!
Keeping it in a container where you can add an airstone or a powerhead will
vastly increase the "shelf life".


> What is recomended? My LFS has a 500 gal water tank that they sell RO
> water how fresh can that be?


They probably have a huge turnover.
I store RO/DI water in a Brute garbage can (with a powerhead) for a month or
more.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/reef.htm